|
|
|
| Source: "The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. Devoted to the Interests of American Genealogy and Biography. Issued Quarterly. [SEAL] Volume XLVI, 1915. Published by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 226 East 58th Street, NY" Pages 58 - 62 Some Early English Records Pertaining to the Eastman Family. By Charles R. Eastman, American Museum Natural History, N.Y. City.
The Downton parish register was first searched for Eastman records by the
present writer in the summer of 1910, and some notes on the origin of the family
were published in the Granite Monthly, a New Hampshire magazine, for
December of that year and the following October. Thanks to the generosity of Mr.
George Eastman of Rochester, New York, it was possible to engage the services of
an expert antiquary, Mr. Charles H. Hoppin, for the purpose of making a complete
transcript of early Eastman family records preserved in Wiltshire archives. From
the large quantity of material collected by this historian a selection has been
made relating to the direct ancestral line to which the pioneer colonist Roger
belongs, and this is included in the present article. Much more space than is
here available would be required to contain all the extant information. First Generation The ultimate progenitor of this line of whom authentic records have been
preserved is John-1 Eastman of Charleton. Following is a literal
transcript of his original will, dated April 26, 1564, and proved May 9, 1565. "Archdeaconry of Court of Sarum[= Salisbury], Register 4, folio 193. Testam. Johanis Estman de Downton. In the name of god amen the xxvi day of aprill in the yere of o lord god
mccccclxiiii, I, John Estman of Charleton within the pyshe of Downton, wthin the
Countie of wyltess, husbandman, beynge sycke in body but pfitt in memory, do
make my last will and testament after this maner & forme following. Ffyrst
& principally I give and bequeath my sowle to almightie god my maker,
redeamer and savior, trustying by the meyrytts of his blessed passion to be
child of salvation, my body to be buryed within the churche of Saynt lawrence in
Downton where my father doth lye. Itm, I geve to our Lady church of Sar [= Cathedral at Salisbury] vi d. Itm, I
geve to m vicar of Downton for my tythes forgotten xii-d. Itm, I geve &
bequeath to the Reparations of my pyshe churche of Downton iii-s iiii-d. Itm, I
geve & bequeath to the reparations of Catheryn brydge of Downton xiii-d. Itm,
I geve & bequeath to Willm Estman my sonne x ltie shepe, v of them shalbe
ewes & v of them shalbe lambes, & in money good and lawfull v-li &
ii acres of wheate, the one lying in hoker linche & one half acre btwn the
lyncherd & hym, & the other half acre by the grene thorne. Itm, I geve & bequeath to John, Willm, Walter & Florence, sones &
daughters to the said Willm Estman iii shepe apece, & to evry one of [them]
in money good & lawfull x-s a pece, and to each of them one pewter platter
apece, & betwene the said iii children I geve one sparked cowe, w-ch Cowe
goeth now in the forrest, & shalbe distributed by the direction of ther
father, yf any of thes said iiii children do decease or dye before they come to
pfitt age to make ther wills that then the legatye of them that fayle or dye
shall remayne to them that lyveth, equally to be devyded betwene them & go
from the one to the other. Itm, I geve & bequeath unto John Eastman & to
Willm his brother, sones to Roger Estman, iii shepe a pece & to each of them
in money good and lawfull x-s apece & a pewter platter apece, & betwene
them a blacke heyffer. Yf the said John or Willm decease or dye before they come
to the age to make ther wills that then the legatye of the one shall remayne to
the other. Itm, I geve & bequeath to elizabeth barrye my sunt [= servant] ii yewe
shepe. Itm, I geve & bequeath to Willm newman my sunt one yewe. Itm, I geve
and bequeath to evry one of my god children iiii-d apece yf they will come &
aske hitt of my executor. Itm, I geve and bequeath to Richard Carter pyshe
clerke of Downton half a bs of wheat & as mutche of mault. The Rest of all my goods movable and unmovable herein not bequeathed, my
detts and legatyes payd, I geve & bequeath them all unto Roger my sonne
makynge hym my whole and sole executor, desyring Rob Carpeter & Nycholas
newman to be my ovrsears, & they shall have for their paynes iii-s iiii-d a
pece. Wytnesses to this my last will & testament, Richard Cockes, willm
Modye & Richard Cates. Pbat fuit testm supa script Johanis Estman nup de Downton nre Jurems Arctimus
save defunct cara magno Johe James in legibz bacc Office dni arctii sax ix-o.
Die mes maij A Dni mts ccccc-o lxv-o. Ac p itm appbat ac Comissqz fuit
ec."[Latin note appended to the will may be modernized as follows:
"The above-written will of John Estman, late of Downton in our Jurisdiction
of the Archdeaconry of Salisbury, deceased, was proved before Master John James,
bachelor of law, official of the Lord Archdeacon of Salisbury, on the ninth day
of the month of May in the year of our Lord 1565, and by him approved, etc., and
[administration] was granted, etc"] The foregoing document proves that the testator had only six grandchildren
living in 1564, all of whom were minors. Two of the grandson were named William,
one of whom belonged to the Family of Roger-2 Eastman and lived at
Charleton, in the parish of Downton, and the other, who was son of the
testator's executor, at Weeke, in the same parish. Concerning the family that
lived at Weeke, it will be sufficient to note that William-3 Eastman
(William-2, John-1), was twice married, first in 1599, to Elizabeth Kempe,
and secondly to Edith ------, family name not found, who died in 1619. Downton
parish records give the following as his children: i. William-4, b. ----; d. 1606 Second Generation The foregoing will of John-1 Eastman is authority for giving to his
son Roger-2 of Charleton only two children who had been born prior to the
year 1564 and were still minors when that instrument was made. Other offspring,
however, must have been born subsequent to the year 1564, for we find at the
time of Roger's death, in February 1604, he, being then a widower, had eight
children living whose names are known to us, and at least eight grandchildren.
Besides these heirs, a married daughter of Roger-2, who had been the wife
of one William Skeate, executor under the will of Roger-2, had previously
deceased. Downton parish records show that Roger-2 Eastman was buried Feb
17, 1604. His will, dated Jan 11, of the same year, was proved six days
following his death. The original will, unfortunately somewhat mutilated,
together with the complete detailed inventory of the estate and administrator's
bond is on file with the Consistory Court of Sarum [=Salisbury], and is an
important genealogical document. The injury to the will itself is of such nature that a portion of the left
hand margin has been torn away, or "perhaps eaten by rats," as
suggested by Mr. Hoppin, who prepared as exact transcript. The names of one or
two of the beneficiaries are unfortunately lost, having been contained in the
missing fragment, but from other sources we are clearly warranted in supplying
one of them as William, who was either the eldest or second son. There
are named as executor the testator's son-in-law, William Skeate, and as
overseers "my well-beloved sonns Walter Eastman ye eldr & John
Eastman." The remaining heirs, named in the order of their mention, were
Nicholas and Roger Eastman, four Skeate granchildren, and Mary, Edith and Thomas
Eastman. Witnesses to the will were John Bebmaton, Thomas Fursley, Walter
Eastman and John Eastman. A seal is attached, bearing the device of a talbot
passant. Third Generation We come now to the generation immediately preceding that of the emigrant Roger-4,
and find entries in the Downton parish register for reconstructing the families
of his uncle William-3 and father Nicholas-3 as follows: William-3 Eastman (Roger-2, John-1), born some time prior to 1564;
died after 1622. He married (1)Edith ----, who died in Oct 1605. He married (2)
in 1607, ---- (name blank or illegible in Downton parish register). Resided at
Downton. Children: i. John-4, bp. March 29, 1603; d. 1663, leaving son John. Nicholas-3 Eastman (Roger-2, John-1), born probably between 1564 and
1570; died some time after 1625. He married Barbara ---- (family name probably
Rooke), who was buried at Downton, July 9, 1625. Resided at Charleton. Children: i. Thomas-4, bp. Jan 9, 1602/3; m. Oct 21, 1634, Alice Sanders, sister of John Sanders of Weeke. He was living in 1656. As has already been stated, the earliest ancestor who can be directly connected by authentic records with the line to which Roger, the founder of the family in this country belonged, is John-1 Eastman of Charleton who died in 1565. A number of Eastman items occur in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners' Court Rolls for the Manor of Downton, ranging in date from 14 Edw. IV to 30 Henry VIII (1475 - 1540). Under date of 1539 occur in these manor court rolls is found in the following entry, where mention is made of both a John and Roger Eastman of Charleton: Douton Manor. Court held here 17 December, 30 Henry VIII. Charleton: The tithingman there presents that Roger Estman has been sworn
into the office of tithingman; and that (in reckoning the pannage of pigs) Roger
Estman has two old and six young pigs; and John Estman the younger, one old
pig....Nounton [Nunton]. John Estman has one old and two young pigs. In conclusion is offered a copy of Eastman items taken from the vital records
of Romsey, Hampshire, not previously published: Chrystenings.8 Aprill, 1596. Elizabeth the daughter of John Eastman. 13 Aprill, 1598. Roger the son of John Eastman. 3 Aprill, 1599. John the son of John Eastman 1 February, 1600. Margaret the daughter of John Eastman 20 October, 1602. Anthony the son of John Eastman. Burialls.6 October, 1602. John Eastman.
|
To return to top of page, press Home
|
9-11-2001